A man has been awarded thousands of pounds in compensation by the NHS after a stent that 'should have been removed after a year' was 'left in his digestive system'. The patient, who has not been named, underwent surgery to remove his gall bladder at Manchester Royal Infirmary in 2017, his representatives said.
The procedure involved fitting a stent to help his digestive system, they added. The stent should have been removed after 12 months, but medics didn't contact the patient or his GP, his lawyers at Hudgell Solicitors claim.
They claim the stent became embedded in the surrounding tissue of his bile duct, leading the man to experience abdominal pain, jaundice and fatigue, which left him struggling to work. He was admitted to A&E after suffering with shortness of breath.
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The patient then had three new stents fitted over an 18-month period, it is claimed. Doctors replaced the original stent with a fourth and final temporary stent, which was then removed, the patient's representatives said.
With all stents now removed, the man, now 52, says he feels well, but during two years of fatigue and illness, he needed a significant amount of time off work, his lawyers said.
Solicitor Matthew Gascoyne said Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has now paid out. The figure has not been released.
"It impacted on his quality of life at home, at work, and on his leisure time," Mr Gascoyne said. "It really is inexcusable for mistakes like this to happen. This patient has suffered from lengthy spells of pains, tiredness and a general unwell feeling from May 2017 until after his final surgery in August 2021. That suffering was completely avoidable."
A spokesperson for Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said: "The trust sincerely apologises for the shortcomings in care and treatment provided to this patient. As part of the trust's investigations into this matter, lessons have been learned.
"We are pleased that an appropriate award of financial compensation has now been agreed between the trust and the patient and wish him well for the future."
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